Control timing for spatial light modulator
First Claim
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1. A method of operating a spatial light modulator, the method comprising:
- loading a first bit of display data into a first block of spatial light modulator elements;
resetting said first block of spatial light modulator elements to display said first bit of display data;
loading a lower-significance bit of display data into said first block of spatial light modulator elements;
resetting said first block of spatial light modulator elements to display said lower-significance bit of display data;
loading clear data in said first block of spatial light modulator elements while simultaneously loading display data into a second block of spatial light modulator elements; and
resetting said first block of spatial light modulator elements to a dark state at the end of a display period corresponding to said lower-significance bit.
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Abstract
A spatial light modulator clocking method, called fast-clear, which employs embedded clear hardware in the SLM to enable the fast-clear bit to generate least-significant short-bit periods and without any bit ordering restrictions. In this method, fast data clears 34 are inserted between block data loads 32,36 within a frame refresh period. This method virtually eliminates the artifacts associated with the earlier reset-release timing method without the bit-ordering restriction of the jog-clear method.
6 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of operating a spatial light modulator, the method comprising:
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loading a first bit of display data into a first block of spatial light modulator elements;
resetting said first block of spatial light modulator elements to display said first bit of display data;
loading a lower-significance bit of display data into said first block of spatial light modulator elements;
resetting said first block of spatial light modulator elements to display said lower-significance bit of display data;
loading clear data in said first block of spatial light modulator elements while simultaneously loading display data into a second block of spatial light modulator elements; and
resetting said first block of spatial light modulator elements to a dark state at the end of a display period corresponding to said lower-significance bit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A projection display comprising:
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a light source for producing a beam of light along a first light path;
light-condensing optics in said first light path for focusing said beam of light on to the surface of a spatial light modulator;
control electronics for receiving image data and providing control signals and display data representing said image data;
said spatial light modulator in said first light path for receiving said control signals and said display data and for selectively modulating said beam of light in response to display data, said spatial light modulator comprised of an array of modulator elements, said modulator elements grouped into at least two blocks;
a projection lens focusing said modulated light from said spatial light modulator onto an image plane; and
said control electronics operable to;
load the first bit of display data in a first of said blocks, reset said first of said blocks to display loaded data, load clear data in said first block while simultaneously loading display data into another block, and reset said first block to a dark state; and
sequentially load the first bit of display data into remaining data blocks, resetting each of said remaining blocks to sequentially display loaded data, loading clear data into each of said remaining blocks while simultaneously loading display data into another block, and resetting each of said remaining blocks to a dark state.
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8. A micromirror device comprising:
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an array of mirror elements logically grouped into blocks;
at least one memory cell associated with each said element;
address circuitry operable to load data into said at least one memory cells associated with each said element of a first block; and
circuitry operable to clear said at least one memory cells associated with each said element in a second block while data is being loaded into said first block.
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9. A method of operating a spatial light modulator, the method comprising:
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providing a spatial light modulator comprised of an array of display elements logically grouped into at least two blocks;
loading a first bit of display data into a first block of spatial light modulator elements; and
clearing a second block of said spatial light modulator elements during said loading.
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10. A method of operating a spatial light modulator, the method comprising:
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loading a first bit of display data into a first block of spatial light modulator elements;
resetting said first block of spatial light modulator elements to display said first bit of display data;
loading clear data in said first block of spatial light modulator elements while simultaneously loading display data into a second block of spatial light modulator elements; and
resetting said first block of spatial light modulator elements to a dark state at the end of a display period corresponding to said first bit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification